'Body Worlds' exhibit of body donors [ cheaper than funeral, and people see you]

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South Los Angeles resident Erlyne Toney-Alvarez, 67, had always planned to be cremated when she died. Simple. Inexpensive. Graves, she said, are a waste of land occupied by the dead. Then she saw the intricately plastinated bodies at the Body Worlds exhibit at the California Science Center -- bodies that had been stripped of their fat, filled with plastics and shown off in all their muscular, organic and anatomical glory for the world to see in traveling shows. Now that, she thought, is the way she wants to go. "I was so excited," she said of seeing the exhibit with... http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/290493

The one creepy thing about is that it seems that through the whole exhibit they are trying to subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) persuade you to donate your corpse. Little pieces on the wall about death, and how honorable it is to let your remains be used for learning. Then after all that, there were applications at the end where you could sign up on the spot to have your body donated after you die. :p

I understand why so many people like it, but I just couldn't bring myself to go. I see a lot of death, and I've learned that, most of the time, there is little to no dignity in the death process. It just seems to me that there should be a little after death. But that's just my two cents. :)

They're not people, they're hippies!! -Cartman

It is nothing against you to fall down flat, but to lie there - that's disgrace

I understand why so many people like it, but I just couldn't bring myself to go. I see a lot of death, and I've learned that, most of the time, there is little to no dignity in the death process. It just seems to me that there should be a little after death. But that's just my two cents. :)

I think the people who donated their bodies wouldn't feel undignified.

I would think they feel the act was a final noble gesture. Their remains become a learning tool for the rest of us, possibly cultivating interest in some to pursue biology or medical careers, etc. At the very least, allowing some to become that much more fascinated with life and themselves. How much more undignified would life and death be if people were never interested or allowed to chop open corpses and study them (seriously)? We certainly wouldn't have the power to save lives like we do today, or even same power to raise quality of life for many that we enjoy.

Saying that, the did tend to slice and fan out the muscles and parts in some kinda goofy ways, but they gotta catch peoples eye's somehow:P

I think the people who donated their bodies wouldn't feel undignified.

I would think they feel the act was a final noble gesture. Their remains become a learning tool for the rest of us, possibly cultivating interest in some to pursue biology or medical careers, etc. At the very least, allowing some to become that much more fascinated with life and themselves. How much more undignified would life and death be if people were never interested or allowed to chop open corpses and study them (seriously)? We certainly wouldn't have the power to save lives like we do today, or even same power to raise quality of life for many that we enjoy.

Saying that, the did tend to slice and fan out the muscles and parts in some kinda goofy ways, but they gotta catch peoples eye's somehow:P

Just my 2 cents.

I think I'm just weird, but using corpses for medical education seems different that using them in an art show. But hey, if that's what they wanted to do, more power to them. I just think it's undignified. :)

They're not people, they're hippies!! -Cartman

It is nothing against you to fall down flat, but to lie there - that's disgrace

Ick! I didn't see the show when it came through here. I understand the science part but it's really no different from any traveling cabinet of curiosities. You are paying money to see a freak show.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Death will visit us all eventually. It's a part of life but I don't see any reason to display my old shrunken,withered up,decaying corpus to anyone .
When I'm dead its just an empty shell to be disposed of in the most efficient way possible .Laying 'in state' in a metal box underground seems to me the height of ego .
Waiting for the inevitable decaying back into dust is delayed and will never be complete so I will be cremated and put to work growing some nice flowers in a flower garden.
All who have known and loved me in this life can then come and complain about the shitty job I am doing with the flowers,nothing ever really changes !